Computer Concerns

I own and use a computer, but I don't love it. I welcome the convenience and efficiency computers bring to the workplace—especially the ways they help us in ministry and outreach. Like other items people build and buy, though, computers have the potential to be used either for good or for bad. They can help us accomplish great goals for the kingdom, but they also open the door to technological temptations.

A computer provides a dangerous entry point for pornography. In the past, a smut user had to walk into an adult bookstore to buy it, or at least endure the embarrassment of realizing his postal worker knew what he was receiving in the mail. Today the Internet lets viewers indulge their lusts in private with the illusion of unaccountability (although, of course, God knows what goes on behind closed doors).

A computer also provides a swift way to spread gossip. "Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down" (Proverbs 26:20). But with a quick click of the keyboard, a person can forward rumors and half-truths to far-flung corners of the world.

A computer can serve as a vehicle for negative criticism. Via e-mail, we can quickly express legitimate concerns and complaints to government leaders, political candidates, and church leaders. But what about our responsibility as Christians to confront one another in love? Aren't most disputes within the church better handled face-to-face than through angry letters? E-mail makes it easy to "give someone a piece of your mind," but Christians also need to give each other a piece of our heart—and you can't do that through impersonal memos.

In a culture that values shortcuts, we need to be careful that technology doesn't short-circuit our mental and spiritual growth. When used wisely, a computer opens up a vast storehouse of helpful information—including valuable facts about the Bible and the Christian faith. But it also can be used for academic cheating—a serious problem on college campuses today as students download plagiarized term papers. Likewise, ministers can find a wide array of helpful resources on the Internet as they prepare their sermons, but they also can fall into the trap of preaching someone else's material with minimal thought and preparation. Churches suffer when busy leaders bypass the vital disciplines of prayer, Bible study, reading, critical thinking, contemplation, and personalizing the text for themselves and their flocks.

Furthermore, a computer can simply be a way of wasting time. Americans often complain about how busy we are; but how much time do we waste playing computer games or idly surfing the Net on a neverending quest for information? Is this the best stewardship of the precious hours God has granted us?

For most people, the answer isn't to pull the plug on our computers or simply go on a guilt trip. Instead, give your computer to God. Prayerfully dedicate its every use to the Lord and his purposes. Don't check your ethics at the door when you log on. Consider subscribing to an Internet service that filters out pornography. Invite the Lord to view and edit anything you see on your screen or type on your keyboard.

And when you communicate with other human beings made in God's image, remember: it's not d-mail (for discouragement), g-mail (for grumbling and gossip) or c-mail (for critical comments). Why not let the "e" in e-mail stand for encouragement?